Anderson Named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week

By Mike Houck

Assistant A.D. / Strategic Communications

NOVEMBER 13, 2017

NORMAN — For the second time in the last three games, Oklahoma sophomore Rodney Anderson has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week. Anderson rushed 23 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns and caught a career-high five passes for a career-high 139 yards and two more scores in OU's 38-20 win over No. 6 TCU on Saturday.

The 6-2, 218-pound running back from Katy, Texas, became the first FBS player since at least 1996 to register at least 139 rushing and 139 receiving yards in a game.

Anderson racked up a career-high 290 all-purpose yards (11th most in OU history) against a Horned Frogs team that entered the game ranked first nationally in rushing defense (69.7 yards per game) and sixth nationally in total defense (284.1).

He became just the third Sooner to ever record at least 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in a game, joining Joe Mixon (263 rushing yards, 114 receiving yards vs. Texas Tech in 2016) and Steve Sewell (153 rushing, 142 receiving vs. Kansas State in 1984).

A post shared by Oklahoma Football (@ou_football) on Nov 13, 2017 at 8:10am PST

Anderson tied a school record for touchdowns in a half with four in the first as OU took a 38-14 lead at intermission. TCU had not given up 38 points in a full game since the Sooners' 52-46 win in Fort Worth last season (span of 17 contests).

Anderson also became the second player in school history to register two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in the same half, joining DeMarco Murray, who did it against Kansas State in 2008. Anderson made a career-long 46-yard reception in the first quarter and finished the first half with 117 receiving yards, the third most ever in a half by an OU running back.

One of the hottest players in the country, Anderson has rushed for at least 111 yards in each of the last four games. During that period, Anderson leads the nation in yards from scrimmage per game (201.8) while ranking second in touchdowns from scrimmage (nine), third in rushing yards (590) and ninth in rushing yards per game (147.5).

This marks the sixth time in 10 games this season that a Sooner has been named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, breaking the program record of five set in 2004. In addition to Anderson's two wins, quarterback Baker Mayfield has earned four such honors this year.

The third-ranked Sooners play at Kansas on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised by ESPN.